A Missouri man is behind bars after he told police about a drug-fueled sexual assault of a young child.

Suspect Brett Pendleton, 48, of Union, reportedly admitted to police that he engaged in sexual activity with an 8-year-old girl, then forced her to eat methamphetamine and smoke marijuana.

Fox News2, St. Louis reports that the alleged assault took place at Jan 1, 2017, at an American Inn motel. The suspect had rented a room there accompanied by the child, the Washington Police Department said.

Reportedly, Pendleton was alone with the child for seven hours.  Police Detective Sgt. Steve Sitzes told the St. Louis Post Dispatch that Pendleton was a relative of the child’s mother and had gotten permission from the girl’s mother for the child to visit with him. When the mother later stopped receiving text message responses from her daughter, she became alarmed and went to look for them. She reportedly went into the motel after she saw Pendleton’s car in the parking lot.

When the victim’s mother arrived to the hotel room, the child reportedly brought her into a bathroom and told her what Pendleton had been doing to her. The mother rushed her daughter to Mercy Hospital where she reportedly filed a police report.

Fox 2 Now reports that Pendleton had left the hotel when police apprehended him in his car. Officers pulled the suspect over, placing him under arrest. After a search warrant was obtained, evidence collected in the motel room corroborated the child’s testimony.

While in police custody, Pendleton freely confessed. He admitted giving the 8-year-old methamphetamine in a roll of toilet paper and having her eat it He also confessed to having sex with the victim.

According to court records, Pendleton has been charged with one count of statutory sodomy or attempted sodomy deviate sexual intercourse with a minor under the age of 12, and a first degree count of endangering the welfare of a child creating substantial risk.

The child’s mother is not under investigation and police said she had no knowledge of the alleged abuse until speaking with her daughter.

Pendleton, who was on parole for manufacturing meth at the time of his arrest, remains behind bars on a $250,000 cash-only bond.

Police told Fox 2 Now that they are investigating the possibility of additional incidents. CrimeOnline will provide an update when more information becomes available.

[Feature Photo: Brett Pendelton/Police Handout]